Rack for trucks or wagons



c. w. CRANNELL 1,758,431

RACK FOR TRUCKS 0R WAGONS Filed July 24, 1928 May 13, 1930.

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May 13, 1930. 3, w, CRANNELL 1,758,431

RACK FOR TRUCKS OR WAGONS Filed July 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedMay 13, 1930 ANNA BARNES, OF BIG SPRINGS, NEE OF CHAPPELL, NEBRASKA IBAT oFFic NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD 'ro RASKA, Amnes a-THIRD TOADA A. W'OLF,

RACK r03 muons on wAeoNs Application filed m 24,.

My invention relates to improv racks for trucks or wagons.

The object of. my. inventionis to provide an improved beet rack adapted.to be carried by a truck or'wagon, whereby the beets or other articlescarried in the rack can. be readily dumped therefrom, and at the sametimeproviding means whereby. the swinging side is automatically returnedto its closed lozpositionand automatically locked.

. Another object of my invention is toprovide a rack of this characterin which the swinging side is held in its closed position by two chainsand provided with means for li rsimultaneously releasing both of thechains, whereby the swinging side is adapted to swing down by the weightor pressure of the beets or other articles in the rack, and are allowedto pass from the rack.

A further object of my invention is to provide a rack of thisrcharacterwhich is very durable, simple in construction and provided with certaindetails of structure and combination of parts hereinafter more fully setforth. r

In the accompanying drawings t Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved rack showing the swinging side locked inv its upward position.a

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the chains released so that theweight of the beets or the other articles in the rack will cause theside to swing downwardly.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation showi side swung downwardly.

I Applicant is aware that racksof this character are old in the art, inwhich the swinging side is held in its upward or closed position bymeans of two chains adapted to interlock with slots, such as shown." inPatent No. 1,315,386. In such a structure as shown in this patent, itrequires two persons to release the swinging side, or else a singleperson-has to walk to one end to release one chain and then to the otherend to release the other chain. In such structures, the chains are re-vleased by striking the same with a bar to disengage the links- 0f thechain from theslot ements in ng the 1928'. serial No. 294,963.

and there. is no assurance that the chains will 1 pass freely-throughthe eyes and allow the swinging side to swing all the way downas thechains are often caught in the slots and the swinging side stopped at anintermediate point.

In my impr singlemovement of the levers, and: the slots closed bysaidmeans so that the chains passing freely through the eyes can not passinto the slots tostop the swinging movement; of the sideat anintermediate point.

Referring now tothe drawings, 1 represents my: improved rack, which isof a shape and size to fit the chassis of a truck or the running gear'ofa wagon, and whileI have shown this-rack specially designed forhan dlingbeets, it will be understood that the same could be used in handlinggrain or many other farm products, and the same idea could beusecl inotherplaces where a swinging door or gate is used.

Therackl, as shown,has the side 2 hinged to the bottom 3 means of hinges4 and 5. These hinges, as shown, are of strap form,

oved rack the two chains are -s1multaneously forced out of'the slots'bya and the straps 6 forming one portion ofthe v hinge 7 extending aconsiderable distance across the bottom of the rack, and the straps 7secured to the side 2 extending entirely across the side and above theupper edge thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully described. Inorder that the side 2 will automatically return to its vertical orclosed position after the weight or pressure of the contents thereof istaken off, I provide a coil spring 8 which has its two ends 9 and 10extending therefrom mid-way between the diameter of-the coil. The end 10isrigidly fastened to the bottom 3 of the rack and the other halfextending beyond the side 2 of the rack. The end 9 normally holds theside 2 in the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, when there isno pressure thereon; Secured tol'the ends 11 of the rack are the hooks12 to which the chains 1 3 and 14: are connected and by this arrangementit'will be seen that the chains are readily detached from the body ofthe rack. Y

The straps 7 of the hinges,- as heretofore slots 17 the same may begripped by hand for operat-l ing the samel A link 23has its ends pivotstated, extend upwardly above the upper edge of the side 2 of the rackand are provided with the enlarged portion 15, which extends slightly toone side. The enlarged portions above the edge ofthe side2 areprovidedwith circular openings 16 having communicating with their lower ends theobliquely arranged "Pivoted upon thestraps 7, at 18 and 19, are the twolevers 20 and21,which have their lower ends offset as indicated at 22,whereby ally connected at 24 and 25 to the levers 2O and 21 below thepivots .18 and 19, whereby the said levers are connected. .to operatetogether and by moving either lever the other L isoperated. The upperends of the levers 2O and 21 are providediwith enlarged heads 26 inthorizontal plane with the lower edge of the=slots- 17 when the leversare in the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. E i tending fromthe said fiat edges 28 and29 are two circular edges 30 and 31 which arein the same are of a circle as that of the opening drawnd-ownwardly intothe slots 17 and the and 27 having flat edges28 and 29; which are 16 inthe enlarged port-ions 1510f the strap 7 The chains .13 and; 14 passthroughthe opening 16. and are. provided atthe'ends with weights 82 and33, whereby the chains are links thereof are prevented from sliding inthe slots, and theside 20f the rackis held ings.

in the position shown in Figure 1' of the draw- IVVhen it isdesired todump the rack anfop erator standing ateither end, either pushes or pullsone of the levers 20 and 21, which causes "the fiat edgesQS and 29 toengage the links ofthe chain 13. and 14: and gradually force themupwardly out of the slots 17, and.

' the cont-inued'movement of'the lever causing the slots to beclosedwith the curved edges S0.ancl:31 covering the slots,'wherebycircular openings are maintained to allow the free passage ofthe chainstherethrough. -Theupper ends of the levers 20 and 21 are providedwithlugs 34: and 85, which engage theenlarged portion 15 of the straps 7and limit the movement of the levers so as to as sure the' positionshownin Figure 2 of the drawings. The moment the chains are forced out of theslots 17 the pressure of the contents circular openings 16. 7 After therack has been of the rack will. force the side 2 downwardly and thechains will freely pass through the dumpedthe spring 8 normally returnsit to the closed position and the levers 20 and 21 l are returned to thenormal positions'hown in Figure 1 or the drawings,and the links of thechains 13 and 14 will find their way into the slots17 and the sideisagain locked against downward movement.

Having thus fully described my invention whatIclaim is .1

1. A rack of the character described comprising a body portion, a hingedside, chains secured to the body portion and passing through guide-wayscarried by the hinged side and interlocked with said guide-ways,

and means for'simultaneously disengaging 1 the chains with thegulde-ways to allow the side to swlng downwardly.

2. A rack or" the characterdescribed comprising a body portion, a hingedside carried thereby, chains secured to the body portion and passingthroughguideways carried by the hinged side and adapted to interlockwith slotsv communicating with said guide-ways, and means forsimultaneously moving the chain out of the'slots to allowthe chains tofreely pass through the guide-way allowing the side to swing downwardly.

3. A rack'ofthe character described comprisinga body portion, asidehingedto the body portion-,chainssecured to the body portion adjacentthe ends and passing through guide-ways, carried by the side and adaptedto. enter slots communicating with the guideways,and means forsimultaneously forcing 1 the chains outot the slots and; closing thesameto allow the chainsto freely pass throughthe guide-ways and allowthe side to swing downwardly.

4-. A rack oi: the character described com prising a body portion, ahinged side, chains secured tothe body portion and passing throughguide-ways carried by the upper end of the side and adapted to enterobliquely ar- 1 ranged slots communicating with the guideways, and meansfor simultaneously forcing the chains out ot theslots and closing. theslots to formsmooth guide-ways whereby the side may swing downwardly. vI

5. A rack oi the character described comprising abody portion, ahinged'side, chains secured to the body portion and passing throughguide-iivays carried by theupper end slot and having acurved faceadapted to close the slot to form a continuation of the circularopening. g Y e 7. A rack ofthe character described comprising a bodyportion, a side hinged thereto and normally held in a vertical positionby a springgchains secured to the body portion and passing througuide-ways carried by V the upper end of the side and adapted tointerlock with slots communicating with the guideways, and means forsimultaneously moving the chains upwardly out of the slots to allow thesame to freely run through the guideways upon the upward movement of theside.

8. A rack of the character described comprising a body portion, a sidehinged thereto,

chains secured to the body portion and passing through guide-wayscarried by the upper end of the side and adapted to interlock with saidguide-ways, and means for simultaneously moving said chains out of theirinterlocked position with the guide-ways.

9. A rack of the character described comprising a body portion, a hingedside carried by the bodyportion having strap hinges, the straps of thehinges extending upwardly beyond the upper end of the side and havingeyes formed therein, said straps having obliquely arranged slotscommunicating with i the lower ends of the eyes, pivoted levers carriedby the straps, a link pivotally connecting the levers, said levershaving straight faces adapted to engage the chains and force them out ofthe obliquely arranged slots and having curved faces adapted to closethe said slots to form circular eyes.

10. A rack of the character described comprising a body portion, a sidehinged to the body portion at its lower end, eyes carried by the upperend of the hinged side, chains secured to the body portion, passingthrough the eyes, having their lower ends weighted and interlocking withthe eyes, and means for simultaneously moving the chains out of theirinterlocked relation with the eyes.

11. A rack of the character described comprising a body portion, a sidehinged to the body portion at its lower edges, a chain secured at eachend of the body portion and passing through eyescarried by the sideadjacent its ends, said eyes having obliquely arranged slotscommunicating therewith and into which the links of the chains areadapted to pass, and pivoted levers operatively connected together andadapted to simultaneously move the chains upwardly out of the slots toallow the chains to freely pass through the eyes. V v

12. A rack of the character described comprising a body portion, ahingedside carried by the bottom of the body portion, an eye carried bythe upper edge of the side adjacent each end, and having a slotcommunicating with the eye, chains secured to the body and s passingthrough 'saideyes and adapted to enter said slots, levers pivotedadjacent said eyes and operatively connected together and having fiatfaces adapted to engage the chains and liftthem out of the slots, andcurved faces adapted toclose the slots andform continuations of theeyes.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification;

CHARLES W. CBANNELL.

